8 minute read
Motoring
Motoring: Honda HR-V
Our travel writer Malcolm Ginsberg has added motoring to his portfolio over the last 21 months. He is a member of The Guild of Motoring Writers and many years ago was Lotus Public Relations Manager. Here he tries out the Honda HR-V.
Our travel writer Malcolm Ginsberg has added motoring to his portfolio and is enjoying it. He is a member of The Guild of Motoring Writers and many years ago was Lotus Public Relations Manager. This is his take on a fine small SUV family car.
To a certain generation Honda meant motor bikes. It very much still does today with 400m built since 1959. For executive aviation users the name is linked to fast and smart 6/8-seat corporate jets. But if you are into motor cars and want something stylish and advanced Honda is surely a brand to seriously consider. The much-improved 2022 HR-V should be on your shortlist for a medium-sized family car.
As a flat dweller I am a fan of hybrids such as the Honda. We are not ready for all electric cars with power supply problems. The virtue of a hybrid was brought back to me recently when I inadvertently left the lights on with a test car. The main battery was flat but the hybrid power unit still had plenty of life and I was able to meander up our very quiet street at around 5mph until suddenly there was enough power in the system to get the whole car going. Relief. This could not have happened in the past. A pair of jump leads were required.
The Honda HR-V is a well-equipped four-seat front-wheel drive mini sport utility vehicle. (SUV) with a smartly styled and nicely finished interior and sits up nicely on the road overlooking lesser saloons. A fifth person can legally sit at the back, but the place is for emergencies only. There are three models available, Elegance, Advance (the test car) or Advance Style which comes with roof rails, LED cornering lights and a wireless charger.
The rear doors do not have handles as such, but a cleverly designed grip built into the bodywork to ensure a smooth exterior. Passenger access is very easy which is not the case with some of its rivals. The handling is sharp and it is a joy to use, particularly around town where it is very quiet. Sad to say once out onto rural roads and on dual carriageways, when acceleration is needed, it is not the quietest car around. Then it is noisy. However, on a motorway, at steady cruising, the Honda is very quiet.
In these days of high petrol prices Honda claim 58.9mpg for the urban cycle but in truth can expect 50mpg for a mixture of suburban and motorway driving and a range of 400 miles. It is a Honda and 0-60 in 10sec in competitive for a medium-sized basically four-seat family car. Honda says that the HR-V has been designed for one foot driving, but my approach is to use two feet except perhaps on a motorway, where I am a fan of cruise control. With both peddles available it must be quicker in an emergency to stop.
Chassis and suspension enhancements deliver a supple ride combined with enhanced dynamics and revised suspension components have increased stability and reduced body roll. With the 2022 model Honda’s ‘Global Small Platform’ has been updated for the HR-V and the ratio of high-tensile steel increased for improved body rigidity. Honda’s Agile Handling Assist (AHA) system further improves the dynamic stability of the car.
The mid-price “Advance” car came loaded with standard luxuries. The basic Elegance range is also very well equipped and worth looking at.
The test model came with a host of extras, just too many to note here but including a rear-view camera, an air diffusion system, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry and starting, heated door mirrors, heated front seats, heated leather steering wheel and hands-free power tailgate plus what is called Honda ‘Sensing’, a comprehensive package. This includes adaptive cruise control, a collision mitigation braking system, lane-departure warning (which bleeps and was eventually turned off!) and parking assistance. There is a 9inch touch screen, easy to use and a pair of USB outlets both front and back. No ashtray! The sat nav has voice activation but no head up display for cars in the UK market.
All HR-Vs combine a 1.5-litre petrol engine with two electric motors for a total of 129bhp. This makes for good fuel economy (expect to see high-40s) and a very quiet car in stop-start traffic. However, when you accelerate the petrol engine immediately starts revving very noisily, almost as though you are stuck in first gear.
The boot has drop over access and offers plenty of room.
Honda’s rear ‘Magic Seats’ really do help with stowing luggage. They can fold down for a normal flat load area, or fold up to give a separate storage area in the middle of the car.
The plastic boot liner also helps keep mess to a minimum.
The only extra on the car was the rather smart White Pearl paint work £825, giving a total of £31,035, a competitive price in a well filled market.
This is BTN’s third Honda model road test and I been impressed with all the products including the quality of the interior finish and attention to detail. Next up the tiny futuristic Honda E. Its range is 137 miles but we have solved the charging problem.
The Hona HR-V
The Hona HR-V console
STAR RATINGS
(out of 10) Performance.........................8 Handling................................8 Transmission ........................8 Noise.....................................6 Economy ...............................8 Ride and Comfort.................8 Accommodation....................8 Styling....................................8 Brakes...................................8 Finish.....................................8 TOTAL.............................. 78%
The large boot
Spacious rear seats
Easy steps to improve the cash flow of your business
Biggest worries of businesses right now
BY URI DEBSON
The UK inflation rate is expected to stay above 9% for several months now, and probably more than 11% in October, well above the target of 2%. It is predicted that another rate hike by the Bank of England is inevitable and BoE will raise it for the fifth time on August 4th.
The small and medium sized businesses are now squeezed between the two unfavourable economic forces. On the one hand, the soaring inflation, and on the other hand rising borrowing costs, which are now the highest in the past eight years.
Rising costs and weak demand push SMEs to apply for loans. In Q2 2022 applications for small business loans have increased by more than 77% mainly due to rising worries of recession. Almost 40% of business loan applicants said “managing the day-to-day cash flow” was the main reason for taking a loan. Now, how to get out of the trap of high borrowing costs and soaring expenditure costs? The solution is to improve the cash flow. Kolleno, a cloud-based AR automation platform has prepared tips on how to improve the cash flow internally.
GET PAID PROMPTLY
According to Barclays more than one quarter of UK SMEs are owed money. The latest study revealed that the major reason, again is the inflation that started to unravel throughout the economy. For many businesses this money could be used for paying suppliers or even staff on time, paying expenses and investing for the future.
When the overdue invoice balance rises it is important to follow a proactive payment chasing strategy. This means sending an invoice straight away after the sale was made. Also make sure there are no errors and the recipient details are correct. Even if this sounds intuitive, that is one of the major reasons why the invoices are unpaid, with 54% invoices being sent to wrong addresses.
Last but not least, it is important to send payment reminders. Usually, it is better to send out “approaching due-date” reminders, and follow-up reminders in case the payment becomes overdue. Make sure to use the appropriate tone of voice not to jeopardise your relationship with clients.
MONITOR YOUR CASH FLOW DATA
The payment behaviour of your clients is a major source of data, so make sure you are using it to improve your cash flow. For example, Ageing Reports, provide insights into what percentage of customers owe you money for more than a month, two or even three. For example, if the major debtors are within two to three months of overdue payment terms, then it would be more efficient to prepare templates that can be sent out targeting these groups of customers.
Furthermore, the statistics of how long it takes customers to pay may help you avert the cash flow struggles in advance. For example, if the cash conversion cycle increases, it is advisable to make changes to the accounts receivable management right away, as it signals the current procedures are not efficient. Also, the insights on the date that your customers usually make payments can also alert you in advance, if that pattern changes and you might need to follow up immediately.
Monitoring cash flow data and reporting can help your business forecast the cash flow accordingly and allow you to prepare for the future.
BRIEF YOUR TEAM ABOUT CASH FLOW
When you are in the process of optimising the cash flow, it is important to introduce all departments to a more efficient cash flow management. For example, the sales team can offer different payment terms to customers depending on their payment behaviour. For example, incentivise early invoice payments, or offer payment in instalments options. The purchasing department, on the other hand, could negotiate the longer terms, to have an optimise the Accounts Payable/Accounts Receivable strategy.
The customer relations specialist can also contribute by clearing up the client’s ability to pay on time. Finally, the stock management department can monitor if there is too much cash locked up in stock. The key is to have all departments briefed regarding the cash flow optimisation to work together on the common goal.
DIGITASING CREDIT CONTROL
Cash Flow can become a key source of liquidity and stability of the company during the recession. However, it is time-consuming to monitor the payment behaviour of customers, finding the best words to send out a reminder, or to avoid errors that come along with manual accounts receivable management. Find out how your business can benefit from the accounts receivable automation and reduce late payments.
For more information please contact Uri Debson, the Strategy and Partnerships Director at Kolleno via
